FRIENDS and family have paid tribute to musician Stevie Martin - known as Rainy Boy Sleep - at his funeral in Derry

Mr Martin was originally from the border town of Lifford in Co Donegal but had lived in Derry.

He went missing over three weeks ago, sparking a widespread campaign to help find him. Sadly, however, his body was discovered on Strandhill beach in Sligo last Saturday.

A popular musician, he had toured with singers Cyndi Lauper and James Morrison and had regularly played at venues across Derry and Donegal.

The 29-year-old had once performed at the Glastonbury music festival.

On Friday the singer's funeral was held at Derry/Donegal Christian Fellowship, followed by a cremation at Lakeland Crematorium, Co Cavan.

During the service, Pastor Barry Rodgers said: "At times like this, we find ourselves with more questions than answers.

"We look out and think, 'what could I have said, what could I have done'.

"I'm sure many of you have had those thoughts in your mind. I want to tell you, there's nothing more you could have said, there's nothing more you could have done.

"The decisions we make sometimes in life can be so poignant in eternity.

"Did anyone really know what was going to happen a few days ago, can anyone really know what is in someone's mind at any given moment.

"There are some things about Stevie we can all agree on, Stevie knew that words mattered.

"You could see it in his song writing, you could see it in the way he spoke to people, he was a student of words and you could tell the way he structured his songs, that he thought about every phrase it was about the words, what mattered.

"Stevie also knew that people mattered, he loved his family, it was evident, even by the turnout here today.

"Some were drawn to his music, it was the introduction you had but many of you were drawn to the guy behind the music, when the lights went down and the stage was cleared, he was just Stevie."

His mother Marina and two sisters read 'When you are old' by WB Yeats and his brother Sean read Footsteps.

He added: "My brother, a wanderer and wonderer.

"Stevie Martin - a Rolling stone who will live forever."

Belfast-based music publicist Jeff Robinson, who was previously Mr Martin's publicist said it was "a beautiful send off" as the singer left the church to his own song.